My American Dream

Just watched this video and realized for me, it's not a white picket fence or a home in the suburbs that is my American dream, but an enchanted ecological wonder off the grid that should/could be preserved and enjoyed forever. I use the term American Dream becasue I live here in the US and that term has always been a part of our culture, learned somewhere along the way as what we all could/should strive for. I know other countries have these potentials as well and I realize living in the forest is not for everybody, but for me there would be no better balance of peace, inspiration and awe.

I realize the vid is long(45m) bit it is a fascinating look at self sustainability and the history of this piece of land. Can you imagine 240 acres of redwoods for 45,000?!?! Granted it had been logged when they bought it, but still.

The architect Charles Bello has spent the past 52 years restoring forests from logging and protecting the land on his 400-acre Bello Ranch in Northern California. Here's what he's learned along the way.

In 1968, Charles Bello, now 87, bought 240 acres of redwoods in Northern California’s Mendocino County with his wife, Vanna Rae. Seeking a simpler way of life, they spent all their savings and borrowed money from their parents to be able to afford the $45,000 price. Fifty-two years later, Charles, a civil engineer and an architect who apprenticed under famed modernist architect Richard Neutra in Los Angeles, is a widower, and his two grown sons have moved away. He lives alone among the redwoods and deer now, working on wood sculptures and building fanciful guesthouses on the property for occasional visitors to stay in. Guest fees contribute to the Redwood Forest Institute, a nonprofit organization that Charles and Vanna Rae established in 1997, which serves to restore giant redwood forests by purchasing and managing forest lands, preserve existing forests, educate the public about the importance of redwoods, and provide safe and beautiful recreation opportunities among the trees. Charles hopes it will also allow for the transition of his caretaking role to a group of new, like-minded stewards. “What I would like to see for the future of the farm is to find three highly motivated, middle-aged couples who are interested in settling down on this land as their permanent home, seeking to live the alternative lifestyle that this place has to offer: off-the-grid isolation, self-sustaining in food production, power, and finances,” says Charles.

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Not only did this man and his wife obtained a slice of heaven so to say, but the work they put into it is an amazing and inspiring story. They practiced true self sustainability and had no help or contractors . They did however have a glorious piece of land that provided an abundance of their needs. Some machinery was used by them and propane and solar are utilized. They have an abundant fresh water supply and their own gardens. The glass walls keep you so connected with nature at all times.

One thing that strikes me is the simplicity they utilized. It seems so doable after watching it. (granted a nice forest does help.) I love the approach of managing the timber with a balance of preservation and sustainability. I would love to have just 20 acres of something like this. The fresh water would be so important for now and the future, not to mention delicious and healthy with no additives, plastic or taintedness.

I truly would need nothing else, besides some companionship to share in the experience. I hope some here may enjoy this story..

a reply to: waftist

Truly beautiful.

I would be concerned, though, with the proximity of large trees. If they came down in a storm, they could take out major parts of the house. A few more feet of clearance would not harm the aesthetics but would be less potential risk.

Also, it didn't appear to be double glazed, which insulates far better without detracting from the view. None the less, if the weather was mild, single glazing would do the trick.

a reply to: chr0naut

Good point I had not considered, of course the type of wind it would take to topple those kind of trees would at least come with a warning of some sort. Fire would be another scary factor as well, again not so much for those trees, ha, but indeed everything amongst them.

I just watched that this morning!


We own 5 acres off grid at 5000' elevation in Northern Cali. Its way up a 4wd road, behind 3 locked gates. It already has a small cabin with a loft, and a wood stove, and a propane range. We also share a 200' deep well with wonderful pure water.

We just got the land last year and are still getting set up

a reply to: visitedbythem

I am envious brother! Water is crucial for sure. I am planning on getting a small parcel soon as will and will be seeking one with a natural spring and mature trees. It's all I need!

a reply to: chr0naut

I live on the border with Norcal in S. Oregon. A short drive down Hwy 155 and upon seeing the giant Redwoods...one could take out most of the houses on a block.

mind numbingly collosal

You should read about richard proenneke. There is some great film of his journey that he filmed himself.


Wiki- Richard Louis Proenneke was an American self-educated naturalist who lived alone for nearly thirty years in the mountains of Alaska in a log cabin that he constructed by hand near the shore of Twin Lakes. Proenneke hunted, fished, raised and gathered his own food, and also had supplies flown in occasionally.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: chr0naut

I live on the border with Norcal in S. Oregon. A short drive down Hwy 155 and upon seeing the giant Redwoods...one could take out most of the houses on a block.

mind numbingly colossal

Got to agree with you on that!

a reply to: chr0naut

It's not a problem with the right kind of trees and also if the trees are in a tight group. Pines for example have deep tap roots. If 3-4 are clumped together those tap roots are not only deep but woven in with several other trees. Damn near impossible to take them out even with a CAT 3 or 4 storm. A 5 likely breaks the 1/4 top but those trees are not going anywhere. Maybe some minor roof repair.

An oak though forget it. Very shallow roots and too much rain and it's going to topple over. I've seen them go down. Very mature ones. Can't take intense rain.

I have about 25 mature trees and not concerned. The pines are in a tight group and the oaks are leaning away from the house. A couple of mature magnolias are that likely don't even damage the house if they fall. Too far away.

a reply to: waftist

I do agree that it an American dream.

I have 400 acres in Montana, my backyard is a 2 million acre national forest. (Lolo National Forest)

I'm offgrid... my power is a combination of solar and micro-hydro.

I've taken the time to do the things it takes to grow all year round.

I've two springs on the property for water.

Currently I'm expanding my summer garden to a little over a 1/4 acre... my orchard is a little over an acre now.

In times like these where I'm not only out of work but I think my business won't be able to restart till 2023...

I am so glad I took the time to do this.

It was going to be my "retirement plan" and it seems I'm going to be retiring a decade before I thought...

We haven't left the property since March 17th.

Not because we can't.

Because we've not needed to.

S&F for the thread.

Dick proenneke alone in the wilderness. THIS! video is a good one.... 👍

a reply to: Lumenari


fantastic...you are living the American dream

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Lumenari

fantastic...you are living the American dream

The fun part for us was that we bought it for 160k and it had never been logged.

After the logging trucks left 3 years later, they gave us a check for 240k.

We had a LOT of red cedar...

So we paid it off and built our original house with the rest.

It was a free to us property, essentially.

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Lumenari

fantastic...you are living the American dream

The fun part for us was that we bought it for 160k and it had never been logged.

After the logging trucks left 3 years later, they gave us a check for 240k.

We had a LOT of red cedar...

So we paid it off and built our original house with the rest.

It was a free to us property, essentially.

Oh man! What a boon the land brought you to! I am guessing she has big plans for you.

My American dream would be to go out into the wilderness somewhere randomly and just build myself a shelter and live out there. But here in America if I try to do that men with guns will come and drag me out.

a reply to: waftist

The issue is they still have to pay taxes on that land. So no matter what they don’t ever really only that I still always have to pay some kind of tax or they lose it. So they can’t truly live off the land and be separate from our society they have to make money somehow someway to pay those taxes. It’s impossible to truly be free here.

a reply to: Stupidsecrets

The pine trees in the forest I play and will have the tops of them snapped off and heavy winds.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
The issue is they still have to pay taxes on that land. So no matter what they don’t ever really only that I still always have to pay some kind of tax or they lose it. So they can’t truly live off the land and be separate from our society they have to make money somehow someway to pay those taxes. It’s impossible to truly be free here.

Property tax truly sucks. But ... if we didn't have to pay that tax, the rich bastards would buy up all the land and just hand it down to their kids. Eventually, they'd own it all and you would become their property as well.

Don't be shortsighted.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: Stupidsecrets

The pine trees in the forest I play and will have the tops of them snapped off and heavy winds.

Wow sorry guys it was late I was tired and I was using voice to chat....

I meant to say, The pine trees in the forest that I play in will snap off their tops in heavy wind.
Large pieces weighing 100 - 300 pounds are more falling from a height of 30-40 feet.
I've been out in those woods during storms, floods, and even a forest fire but those snapping tree tops scare me the most.

a reply to: Snarl

Short sited is a system that allows humans to buy up all the land in the first place.